I presented this talk to counselors and educators for an independent school district in Texas. It was intended to provide a contextual understanding of teens' digital media practices by situating them within historical and developmental contexts. The primary purpose was to demonstrate the need for adults and youth-focused institutions to support the development of digital media literacies. Rather than taking a "don't take any risks" approach or a "media are dangerous approach", this talk focuses on the positive ways young people engage with digital media for the purposes of identity exploration, socialization, learning, creativity, and autonomy. Developing digital media literacies, including network and social literacies, empowers students to actively and responsibly participate in the creation of their own media ecologies.